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Ergonomic keyboards have been a popular staple in the office, and not many of them have been made specifically for the Mac platform. Today I'll be taking a look at the newest one for the Mac, the Kinesis Freestyle Solo.In addition to being an ergonomic keyboard for the Mac, it also has two very interesting add-ons: the VIP and the Incline. The Incline accessory transforms the keyboard into something similar to the 12-degree split that the Microsoft Natural Keyboard 4000 (another very popular ergonomic keyboard) features, which we had reviewed previously here on ConnectReviews. By folding We'll get to more on these accessories later.

The Freestyle Solo for Mac isn't just a traditional keyboard that's split into two pieces. It has some unique features that set it apart from the others. Some of these features include ten left-side hot keys for cut, copy, paste, select all, and dedicated keys for Mac users such as Force Quit, Brightness, Exposé, Dashboard, and all the other keys you'd traditionally find on an Apple keyboard. Those who use the number pad often will be disappointed, since the Freestyle Solo doesn't offer a built-in number pad, however, Kinesis has listened to your needs and offers a separate numeric keypad that connects separately via USB.

Switching to an ergonomic keyboard does require some time for your hands to adjust properly to the key layout, as required by any keyboard. However, your hands will thank you and will feel more relaxed as you type. The keys feel somewhat mushy, compared to more tactile keyboards such as the famed IBM Model M, but there was still good tactile feedback.

On the accessory front, both offer near equal amount of ergonomic comfort, with the VIP accessory offering up to 15 degrees of tenting compared to the Incline's 10. I preferred the Incline since both halves of the keyboard were always stable and equally spaced. The VIP offers more control over position and tenting.

I was a bit skeptical before receiving the keyboard, since I didn't know how comfortable it would be, and whether it would find a home inside my office closet. Little did I know how much better my hands felt after using the keyboard for just a few days. Although the Freestyle Solo for Mac has it's flaws, it's one of my all-time favorite products, and will continue to find its place on my desk.

The Kinesis Freestyle Solo for Mac keyboard is available for $99 from the Kinesis website, along with the VIP and Incline accessories which sell for $40 each.

Pros

• Ergonomic design without sacrificing Mac functionality.
• Two different ergonomic accessories.
• Dedicated media and Mac-centric keys.

Cons

• Lack of number pad.
• Somewhat mushy keys.

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